EXCERPTS

APOCALYPSE TV EXCERPT (p. 12-13)

“David Thorndike Productions,” Walter read aloud, squinting in the smoke, “invites you to an audition.” Below this was a phone number and an address Walter recognized, after his years in California, as a Santa Monica area code.

The woman turned to Melissa. “My name is Allie Burns, and I’m a talent scout. I will just say that you both look natural.”

“Natural?” Walter asked. “What are we doing that looks like our nature?”

“Don’t mind him,” Melissa said, “he’s just a college professor.”

“College professor?” She wrote something down on a small pad. “I just think you’d be interesting.” Allie Burns glanced at Walter, then back at Melissa. “I represent a production company that is beginning to fund a new reality show.”

“Well, I haven’t watched the old ones,” Walter said.

“Really?” Allie Burns turned back to Melissa. “I agree that the genre is old.”

“Yes,” Walter said. “And they make fun of people who have a need to be famous. And that’s not just aught.”

“Well, yes, a lot of those shows do that.”

“You think?” Walter noticed the familiar silliness floating up, and he held himself still.

“This is different, though.” The woman had turned to Melissa. “David Thorndike has won an award for his documentary films, and this looks to be an important program.” She turned to Walter and added, “A serious program. That’s why his company has hired me, to look for a more real segment of the population to be represented on it. American Apocalyptic is I think what he’s calling it, an investigation into American Religious ideas.”

“Sounds like it’s about the end of the world,” Melissa said. 

“Well, about whatever Americans are about religiously.” The talent scout smiled and waited.

Walter suddenly pictured her sitting with Hollywood producers and writers, and the producer asking “You know anyone religious? Who knows someone religious? Go and find them and bring them in.” He pictured these people with money and power and thinking about an outsider group in ignorant terms. He was being pigeon-holed for eating in a typical Midwestern restaurant where some people prayed over their meals and got ready to stand on their rooftops on the World’s last night, and it seemed the silliest reason to go on TV.

“What are your thoughts on that?” the scout asked Walter.

“It’s just, you know, the end of the world and all that. How can that be serious? And you know, people are by nature religious. Even in Hollywood.”

p. 50

Interlude

Plymouth Colony Gift Shop

SAL

Make no mistake. I’m here to win. The future starts here. You have to know what you want.

(SOMETHING UNCLEAR IS SAID OFF-CAMERA)

Well, I don’t know, we’ve just met, but what’s with this professor? Big as me but all soft. But we’ll see. (Nods.) We’ll see. He’s here with his sister, or his mom, is it? Can’t tell, for several reasons, and I mean, not just the age thing. How are they related? Weird. They both act like they’re everything. Got on the first time. Invited on, or so I heard. But we’ll see. It’s all up for grabs. I am interested in, shall we say, the fear factor? I know the use of fear for success.

p. 51

Interlude

Plymouth Colony Gift Shop

WALTER (Stands in front of model ships of the Mayflower):

(Squints into the lights on him) Yeah, so everyone is pretty friendly so far. Tense, though. Yeah. I suppose even though we’re all here for the best reasons, there’s some tendency to check each other out. But that’s human, and it’s great. I think we’re going to make a difference. I’m the only one here, it seems, with what I have to offer. I think this has been planned well, and I look forward to it. I look forward to showing just how real the faith we share is. It’s going to be good.